A Regina Mortgage Broker That Makes World Famous Ribs

A Regina Mortgage Broker That Makes World Famous Ribs?

I like BBQing. A LOT. I find it relaxing and rewarding all at the same time.

There is a difference between grilling and BBQing (aka smoking). Grilling involves using a fairly high heat (400-600F) to quickly cook meat such as steak and burgers, while BBQing is all about “low and slow”.

A few years ago I invested in a kamado-style ceramic charcoal cooker called the Big Green Egg. The “BGE” is a versatile cooker, with the ability to set the temperature anywhere from 200 to well over 700F. It wasn’t cheap, but it is the last BBQ cooker I will ever need to buy.

My favourite thing to make are baby back ribs. Done right. They are FANTASTIC.

Here is how I make them.

It all starts with quality baby back ribs. I like to get mine at Butcher Boy on Park St in Regina, but any local butcher shop where you live will have them. Side ribs are great also, just make sure that they are trimmed “St Louis Style” so that the cartilage is removed.

Once you get your ribs home, prepping them for the BBQ is quite easy. If the membrane is still present on the backside, try to remove as much of it as you can.

Next, smother yellow mustard all over the ribs. Get the cheapest mustard you can find. Surprisingly, the mustard is not a dipping sauce. We use it because it helps the dry rub stick to the ribs, and it does not burn or leave any aftertaste. It is really quite incredible.

After dousing your ribs with mustard, it is time for the dry rub. Dry rub is a combination of salt, herbs and spices. Personally, I like to use Sweet and Tangy Chicken & Rib Rub from Prairie Smoke and Spice, but I also like to experiment and make my own.

Woohoo! It is now time to put the ribs on the BBQ. With back ribs I like to use the 3-2-1 method with a temperature between 225 and 250F. The 3-2-1 method is 3 hours unwrapped, 2 hours wrapped, and the last hour unwrapped.

Once your cooker is fired up and you have the right temp, you will want to add some wood chunks. For ribs, I like using wood that produces a sweeter-taste, such as maple or fruit tree wood. Often, I use both.

There is such a thing as too much smoke, so 4 to 5 chunks is plenty. Put the wood in the BBQ before you put in the ribs and make sure the smoke has a light grey tone to it. If the smoke is too dark it means that your temp is too high, or the wood has started to burn. Let it settle first so that it does not ruin the taste of the ribs.

Once the ribs are in, its time for a beer. I prefer a local beer like Original 16. If you already had one, well it is 5 o’clock somewhere.

There is an old saying in the BBQ world. If you are lookin’, it ain’t cookin’. If your temp is set right, your ribs will be fine and you don’t need to check them every ten minutes. I might look every hour just because I want to.

While the ribs are smoking, it is time to prepare for the next step which is foil wrapping. Foil wrapping serves two purposes. First, it protects the ribs from becoming too darkened over the 5-6 hour cook period. And second, it allows you to add massive flavour to the ribs.

What is this flavour? I like to smother my ribs in things like honey, brown sugar, apple juice, and maybe a little Jack Daniels. Ideally, you can use anything that is sweet. Apple sauce is also a great choice.

Once you have added the additional flavours, wrap the ribs in foil and place them on the BBQ for another two hours. This will give the ribs time to tenderize and allow them to take on this extra flavour.

After two hours, remove the ribs from the foil and place them back on the BBQ for the last hour. This is the finishing process that gives the ribs a nice outer bark. In the final 10-15 minutes, slap one some of your favourite BBQ sauce to finish the ribs off.

If you have decided to take on the challenge and are making your first batch of ribs, congratulations! Making ribs is an art, and even if they don’t look that good, they will still taste amazing!

Time to chow down!

I love to talk BBQ, so feel free to shoot me an email or call and I will let you in on some extra tips to make sure your ribs become a thing of legend.

And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter on the sidebar to the right so you don’t miss out on my next BBQ post, where I will reveal my secrets on how to make killer pulled pork!

Cheers Ryan!

Let me finish with this… if you are thinking of selling your existing home to buy something new…Call me a Mortgage Broker BEFORE Listing Your Home